'A Memory Of You' is just one of many lesser-known Bluegrass songs that can be easily introduced into almost any Bluegrass jam, even when none of the other jammers have ever heard or played it before, because nearly everything about the song is ordinary, typical, and predictable for a Bluegrass song.

If you are not familiar with this song, try playing along with one of the recordings before opening the attachments and before reading the rest of the song of the week write up, to see how much of the chord progression and the melody you can pick up by ear. Try improvising a break while playing along with the recording and see what happens.

Progression The chord progression used to play 'A Memory Of You' is the one that is the most common of all progressions in Bluegrass:

1144115511441511(V7 on the basic chord progressions handout)

Other common Bluegrass standards that use this same progression include:Bury Me Beneath The WiilowWreck Of The Old '97Your Love Is Like A FlowerI'm On My Way Back To The Old HomeI Still Write Your Name In The SandY'all ComeLost And I'll Never Find A WayCome Back DarlingIf I Should Wander Back TonightWhy Did You WanderI'm Waiting To Hear You Call Me DarlingBack To The CrossAin't Nobody Gonna Miss Me When I'm GoneHold Watcha GotTrue Life BluesRoad To ColumbusFlint Hill SpecialBlack Mountain Rag (C - Part)Rose Of Old Kentucky (verse progression)Blue Moon Of Kentucky (verse progression)Tiny Broken Heart (verse progression)Little Annie (verse progression)White Dove (verse progression)Cry, Cry Darlin' (verse progression)

MelodySingers should observe that the melody for the chorus differs from the melody of the verses in measures 2 through 5. In these 4 measures, where the verse melody descends, the chorus melody ascends, and vice versa.

In the attachments I have given the melody for the chorus rather than for the verses, because it feels to me more instinctive to use the chorus melody of 'A Memory Of You' as the point of reference for creating melody-based breaks, even though with most songs, one would typically use the melody for the verses rather than the melody for the chorus as the point of reference for creating melody based breaks when the chorus and verse melodies differ from each other.

Pickup NotesWhen played in the key of A, the first (full) measure of the melody begins with a C# note. On the Jim & Jesse recording, Jesse uses the following three pickup notes to lead into the C# note to start his intro break on the mandolin: E, F#, A, played as quarter notes. (Compare this with the similar - key of B equivalent - but more elaborate pickup measure, used at the beginning of the banjo intro break on the Bobby Hicks and Friends live performance of A Memory Of You.)

Other songs that, when played in the key of A, have a C# as the first melody note in their first (full) measure, and for which this same pickup phrase will work well, include:

All The Good Times Are Passed And Gone Beautiful Brown EyesBlue Ridge Cabin HomeI'll Fly AwayLeaning On The Everlasting ArmsMy Home's Across The Blue Ridge MountainsHand Me Down My Walking CaneI Still Write Your Name In The SandRoll In My Sweet Baby's ArmsAshes Of Love

Transposed to each of the 7 other Major keys that songs may be played in at the jam, the pickup phrase and the note it leads to become:

key of G: D, E, G, leading to a B notekey of Bb: F, G, Bb, leading to a D notekey of B:F#, G#, B, leading to a D# notekey of C:G, A. C, leading to an E notekey of DA. B. D, leading to an F# notekey of E:B, C#, E, leading to a G# notekey of F:C, D, F, leading to an A note

Ashes Of LoveThe chord progression used for Ashes Of Love was:11155551 (x2)

but, if the song is called again at the jam in the near future, the progression will likely be changed to:1 1 4/1 55 5 5 11 1 4/1 55 5 5 1 1

For the sake of comparison and contrast, here is a Country version of Ashes Of Love that I heard so many times when I was a child that it still remains as my primary point of reference for the song, even after so many years of playing it as a Bluegrass song.